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Chapter category: Ischemia-Reperfusion
Superoxide Dismutase and COPD
Chapter authors:
Rubin M. Tuder and Sonia Flores
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The incidence of lung disease caused by chronic cigarette smoking is increasing dramati
cally worldwide. One of the major clinical complications related to cigarette smoke is
the destruction of lung tissue, thus resulting in emphysema. There is strong evidence
that oxidative stress caused by the cigarette smoke itself, or by inflammatory cells brought into
the lung, or the lung parenchyma plays a major role in the disease process. Abnormal levels of
oxidative stress have been linked with abnormal cellular signaling, cell death, and inflammation.
We review herein the data concerning the evidence of oxidative stress in both human and
experimental emphysema, the physiological and pathophysiological effects of oxidative stress,
and the rationale for antioxidant strategies to prevent cigarette smoke-induced lung injury. In
particular, we focus on the protective effects of a superoxide dismutase mimetic in an experimental
model of emphysema caused by inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors
as proof of principle for the usefulness of similar approaches directed towards human
emphysema.
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